Although major departures were inevitable following a 2023 season defined by bad baseball and organizational instability, it is still huge to see the Chicago White Sox finally make a change in their front office. Dismissing both executive vice president Kenny Williams and president of baseball operations and general manager Rick Hahn after such long tenures is a major step in the reconstruction of this ailing franchise.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf might already even have a replacement in mind to head up the new regime, one who comes with plenty of experience and credibility.
“Mike Rizzo is viewed within the baseball industry as a potential candidate for the White Sox top baseball operations position, as his extension with the Nationals has yet to be finalized,” Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted Thursday.
Rizzo, a Chicago native who worked with the organization as a scout in the 1990s (signed Hall of Famer Frank Thomas), knows what it takes to lead a successful turnaround. While there were some missteps and tough years, he was an instrumental part of the Washington Nationals' thrilling World Series title run in 2019.
The only issue, however, is that Rizzo is reportedly close to inking a contract extension. Manager Dave Martinez just agreed to one, so it stands to reason ownership would also reward their president/GM after a year in which the Nationals (59-69) have exceeded fans' expectations.
Washington's ability to maximize its thin roster and resources is clearly appealing to a White Sox team that continues to underachieve. While they apparently have their sights set on a new general manager, Mike Rizzo would be an ideal candidate to restore some order at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It will seemingly take an unforeseen set of circumstances to make this union happen, though. And the way things have been going in Chicago, it is difficult to rely on a lucky break.
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